My Heart Led Me South - Travels In East Africa From 1950 To 1960 Of Street Photographer Juergen Schlichting

My Heart Led Me South from Chocolat Negro on Vimeo.

This was created in dedication to Juergen Schlichting, a German street photographer and writer born in 1936. His extraordinary work covers the 1950s to 1980s. At the age of only 46 Juergen lost his 2 year long battle with lung cancer. The scientist and researcher entrusted his entire photographic work and his writings to his young niece who was like a daughter to him. At the time of his death she was a young girl. For the first time decades later his work is shown to the public.
His photographic work is comprised of tens of thousands of images on film and slides as well as 8mm film rolls. These images are valuable testimonials of a time gone by displayed with an incredible artistic quality and sensuality.
A deeply spiritual man with a strong connection to nature he documented all his travels demonstrating an eternal love of life and a genuine belief in the good of mankind.
He wrote 26 books of poems of which none has been published yet.

I See A Distant Land - A Self Portrait

A long time ago I have been dreaming of a distant land.

My passion for photography and creating visual, intriguing scenarios through the media of film started at a very early age. Staging photographic installations,  like a theatre play, centering around a certain chosen topic or idea was my favourite. I dreamed of situations and sceneries, would write my dreams down in my diary the next day and then try to capture them on film with the help of some of my school friends.

Lucinda In Heaven

Portrait Of Two Wildcoast Fishermen

Magic Fabrics

I was taken by a friend to a shop in Southernwood, that reminded me of my childhood and the years I have spent with my grandmother. My grandmother was an amazing seamstress. She was capable of sewing a ballgown from an old curtain within four or five hours, should the need arise. It would be a ballgown that could be worn on the red carpert in Cannes and that would fit you perfectly.

Shops like this factory shop in Southerwood have become rare. People do not sew that much any more in many places of the world. 

But they still sew in South Africa. 

My grandmother learned sewing when she was fourteen years old and she had refined her skills throughout her whole life. She designed the clothes for her daughter and later for her grandchild, me. At one point in time she used the left over fabrics pieces, because they had just the right size, to make small dresses for me when I was three or four yeasr old. 

There are many photographs in old albums, showing my aunt and me in " partnerlook". 

Making a garment for someone is something special and has a certain serenity to it.

It is an act of creation.

Like the feel in this shop.

Beautiful fabrics spread magic around them.

When I shoot a portrait I  take pictures in a sequence. I talk to the person until he or she is comfortable and  forgets that I have a camera in my hand. The result has similarity with a short movie film. 

Every second a person's facial expression changes.

And I like to show the pictures in that same sequence.

Of course there are always people who wonder and ask themselves what is there to see in such a place.

The world is just my private playground

And I think others feel the magic too.

Come Rain or Shine

Come rain or shine some days are just the same.

Gonubie Boys

Very serious business at first !

Walking the streets is serious business

Followed by even more serious cheering-up

Having your picture taken is hard work !

Capetonians On Picnic

This scene, eternalised on black and white film, dates back to 1965. I praise the unknown photographer.

It is entitled :

" On an early summer day in December, white South Africans picnic and converse in a grove of large fir trees in a Cape Town suburb."

Living proof that the culture of gathering around your cars, braaing, talking and drinking, equipped to the teeth with useful and unnecessary gadgets, has transcended all groups and races in South Africa. Not much different than Gugulethu or Bucaneers. Ok a little smaller ! And today the gentlemen don't wear ties to this occasion. But the hats remain part of the scenery.

If you do it, do it in style.

Look, He Is Drinking A Cider !

Look, He is Drinking A Cider Or No Room For Arrogance 

Whenever I come to a point, that I feel or realize, I have looked down on someone in a condescending, judging and pitiful way, who is in an unfortunate position at this time in his life, I give something to someone later. This helps to redeem myself, because these moments are hard to control for most people.

The laws of the universe are true. And you are probably the cause of everything, that ever happens in your life. But the laws of the universe are very hard to learn and in more than one case it will take you longer than this life, that you have at your disposition now to learn those laws. No matter how often you have read the Secret and other books. No Matter, 
To think, that some things can never happen to you, that they will only happen to others is sheer madness.

In fact you can make everything happen to you at any given moment in time. Not the universe but you. And often not knowing that you do.

It so happened, that I overheard a comment one lady made to another lady walking down the street, when they caught sight of a homeless man.

" Look he is drinking a cider", said the one.....

If you got nothing or not much does it mean you can not drink a cider if you get one?

The other question, that arises is, where would you drink your cider if you had just got it and it would  probably be taken away from you by somebody else who wants a cider too.
Would you not drink it on the street if there was no such a thing as a living room ?

I guess I would.   

The one thing there is no room for in life is arrogance.

Today Is A Good Hair Day

The Nguni - A Mighty Tribe

The Cattle Of The Wildcoast

The Wild Coast is one of South- Africa's still undiscovered jewels situated in the Transkei. 

There are miles of unspoilt coastline and the rolling green hills of the Transkei descend down to endless white beaches. The famous local Nguni cattle, a strong, tough and disease resistant African breed, come right down to the beach.

This is in fact the only place in the world where I have seen cattle walking on rocks at the beach during low tide, lying in the sand and enjoying the misty sea breeze for hours.

 At the end of the day they walk up the mountains to higher greener pastures.

The Transkei is a place of great, wild and rough beauty. 

This is a piece of Africa where livestock roams free at will and to see these stunning cattle frolicking on the beach is a memorable sight.

A Nguni cow hide used as a carpet or wall decoration achieves a considerable price today and is sought after by designers for their wealthy clients. I just love them for their beauty.

Summer at the Wild Coast means reading on the deck, spending time with friends, swimming or surfing in the " cold " ocean. The water can be icy sometimes.  River or rock fishing is a favourite past time as well. 

But you have to cross rivers to get there.

The natural beauty and cultural heritage of this region offers a really unique experience to visitors. And if you have a horse you can ride on the beach. If you have none borrow one from the locals. They are more than happy to get a little additional income, in an area where there are basically no employment opportunities.

 I spent my childhood and youth in Namibia on a cattle farm and have always loved cattle.

Here in the Transkei they have no problems walking on the slippery green mossy rocks, balancing  their way through rock pools in which little fish and crabs are hiding.

I like these catte so much that I have created a greeting card set with some of their images I have taken during my last stay there.

During low tide mussels can be collected off the rocks of the pools for a delicious dinner for humans ( and if you like mussels of course)

My First Friend

That was the first time ever when I asked someone to become my friend and I remember it clearly. At the age of two and a half the perception and understandiung of the difference between diverse and unique life-forms is amazingly not very profound - which is a beautiful thing in itself because it allows for simple communication. But since that time I like very tall people with a wide open face and a broad grin.